Wireline well treating apparatus



July m, W62 Gl. E. BRIGGS, JR

WIRELINE WELL TREATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -Filed Aug. 2e. 1958 lllli Il III I l l l l n. n

INVENTOR. GEORGE E. BRIGGS,JF?

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my m w62 G. E. BRIGGS, JR

WIRELINE WELL TREATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 26. 1958 w34 l. x

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3,045,756 WIRELINE WELL TREATING APPARATUS George E. Briggs, Jr., Houston, Tex., assignor to Halliburton Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 757,338 Claims. (Cl. 16o- 162) This invention relates to well tools and more particularly to well tools that are lowered into and raised from a well by means of a cable. The invention is especially concerned with tools for applying tluids under pressure to a well formation and specifically relates to a wire line squeeze cementng tool.

An object of the invention is to provide a well tool that is lowered into the well on a cable to a predetermined level and there operated to apply fluid, such as cement slurry, under high pressure to the walls of thc Well, or through casing perforations to the annulus between the casing and the surrounding earth formation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a well tool of the foregoing character wherein the tool is actuaated by the pressure of powder gases generated within the tool to anchor the tool in the well, to pack off a well zone and to eject -a mass of cement slurry carried by the tool into the packed-off zone. v

Another object is to provide, in such a tool, means whereby the pressure created in the packed-ofi zone is relieved and the packer and anchor are disengaged from the walls of the well in a reliable manner, in order that the tool may be readily withdrawn from the well after a cementing operation has been performed.

Another object is to provide a Well tool having packer means that will securely pack-olia well zone under very high pressure. v

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention are realized in a well tool including van elongated hollow carrier or body containing a fluid, means for lowering and raising the carrier in a well, a longitudinally extending packer sleeve surrounding a portion of the exterior of the carrier, one end of the sleeve being sealingly secured to the carrier and the other end of the sleeve providing a skirt or cup laterally expandable into sealing v engagement with the wall of the well, a packer expander member slidable into the skirt for expanding the same into such sealing engagement, a fluid motor having a fluid inlet port communicating with the fluid in the carrier and a fluid outlet port communicating with the well uid surrounding the carrier, means drivingly connecting the uid motor to the expander member to slide the expander member into the skirt, means for increasing the ,tion will be set forth in or apparent from the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings wherein:

FIG. la is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper part of a well tool positioned in the casing of a well;

FIG, lb is a cross-sectionalvicw of the lower portion of the well tool shown in FIG. la, it being understood that FIG. la and FIG. 1b are taken together to show the entire tool;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical elevational view of the holddown anchor of the well tool of FIGS. la and lb, parts being broken away to show interior construction;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the packer mechanism of the well tool; and

Patented July 24, i952 FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the pressure relief valve structure of the well tool.

Referring to the drawings, particularly to FIGS. vla and lb thereof, the well tool shown is suspended in the casing 10 by means of a conductor cable 1p1 lhaving an insulated electrically conductive wire lz'therein. The cable is anchored in a cable head 13 and from thek latter depends a tiring unit and pressure relief valve assembly 14. A powder lchamber housing 15 is secured to the bottom of the assembly 14. A powder chamber orifice sub 16 is fitted to the bottom of the powderchamber unit and this sub, in turn, supports a check valve sub 17. Suspended from the bottom of the check `valve sub is a hydraulic hold-down anchor 18 from which depends a packer assembly 19. A fill-port sub 20 is threaded to the bottom of the packer assembly and a cement container 21 is suspended from the till-port sub. The well tool isthus seen to provide an elongated hollow carrier.

The powder chamber unit 15 has a thick-walled cylindrical housing 22 capable of withstanding not only the l external Vpressures to which it is subjected as the tool is lowered in a well, but also the high internal pressures created when the powder within the chamber is ignited. The upper end of the housing is closed by the lower end of the firing unit and pressure relief valve assembly 14 which is threaded into the upper end of the housing, the joint being sealed by 0rings 23. A plug '24 is threaded into the lower end of the housing 22, the plug being axially bored to receive the powder gas outlet orifice ring 25. The orifice sub 16 has a central bore 26 that is closed by a plug 27 seated against a shoulder formed in the bore. The shoulder prevents the plug 27 from being forced upwardly by external pressure and permits the plug to be blown down and out of the orifice sub when the pressure in the powder chamber substantially exceeds external pressure,

A screen 28 is positioned in the bottom of the powder chamber and a number of propellant grains 29 which may be made of powder. separated by perforated metal spacer rings 30, are stacked on the screen. Each grain 29 may have a sleeve 3l of metal on its vertical cylindrical surface to inhibit burning at. this surface and to confine burning to the ends of the powder grains.

The propellant grains 29 are ignited by an igniter unit 32 having a charge 33 of black powder that is initiated by an electric squib 34. The squib is rcd by current conducted from the surface of the well to the squib through the conductor wire l2, insulated circuit elements (not shown) in the cable hcad`13, and insulated conductor 34a in the tiring unit and pressure relief valve assembly 14. The firing circuit is returned to the surface through ground.

The check valve 35 in the sub 17 opens inwardly of the tool. Thus, as the tool is lowered in a well and the pressure of the fluid surrounding the tool increases, the valve will open to admit well fluid into the interior of the tool below the plug 27 to equalize pressures inside and outside of the tool. However, as will be seen as the description proceeds, the check valve closes when the pressure inside lthe tool exceeds ambient well pressure, thus preventing loss of uid pressure from the tool through the check valve.

Details of the hydraulic hold-down anchor 18 are shown to yadvantage in FIG. 2. The anchor has a vertically elongated, hollow, cylindrical body 36. Three vertical rows of pistons 37 are evenly spaced circumferentially of the body. The pistons slide in radially recessed cylinders 38 that communicate through openings 39 with the hollow bore of the housing. The outer faces 40 of the pistons are knurled or roughened to grip `securely the inner wallsvof the casing. Each piston has a pair of diametrically opposed slots 41 into which the retaining fingers 42 extend, the fingers being mounted on the body 36 by means of screws 43. Compression springs 44 act between the lingers 42 and the inner ends of the slots 41 to urge the pistons inwardly of their cylinders. Shoulders 45 at the inner ends of the cylinders limit inward movement of the pistons.

The packer assembly 19 appears in enlarged vertical sectional view in FIG. 3. It has an adapter 46 that is threaded to the bottom of the `anchor 18 and that forms an upper cylinder head for the cylinder 47. Sliding within the cylinder is a piston 48 having an upper piston guide 49 and a lower piston guide 50, the guides being slidable in the end walls of the cylinder. The piston and the upper and lower guides are provided with an axial bore 51 extending therethrough. Radial bores 52 communicate the axial bore 51 with the interior of the cylndcr at the lower side of the piston. The cylinder chamber at the upper side of the piston is vented to the exterior of the tool through ports 52a in the walls of the cylinder 47. As will be explained more fully here inafter, the piston 48 and cylinder 47 are the principal components of a fluid motor for actuating the packer expander.

A packer sleeve or cup 53 of thick, Hexible rubber or neoprene or similar material is mounted on the bottom of the cylinder 47 by means of a mounting ring 54. The mounting ring is fastened to the cylinder 47 by retainer screws 55 and the ring carries the packer sleeve which is supported thereon by vertical pins 56 bearing against a metal reinforcing ring 57 molded into the sleeve. The upper edge of the sleeve is of reduced thickness and is received in a recess of the mounting ring.

A vertically bored mandrel 58 is threadedly secured to the bottom of the lower piston guide 50 and sealed thereto by an O-ring S9. The outer cylindrical surface 60 of the mandrel conforms to the inner wall of the packer sleeve 53 and slides therein.

To the bottom of the mandrel 58, an annular packer expander member 61 is threaded. The expander has a downwardly and outwardly aring conical surface 62. The diameter of the upper portion of the conical section is equal to the diameter of the mandrel 58 and the diameter of the lower portion of the conical section is somewhat less than the inside diameter of the casing 10. Vertical passages 63 extend through the expander 61 from the upper end of the conical surface 62 to the bottom face 64 of the expander. Eight or ten such passages are circumferentially spaced around the expander and serve an important purpose which will be explained hereinafter.

As seen in FIG. 1b, the fill-port sub 20 is screwed into the bottom of the packer expander. The till-port sub has an axial bore 65 therethrough. A port 66 is cut through the side wall of the sub 20 and the port is closed by a. sliding sleeve 67 that may be raised to uncover the port 66 for purposes of lling the tool with cement slurry. The sleeve is retained in the illustrated closed position by a removable locking screw 68.

The hollow cement container 21 is secured to the tillport sub 20, as seen in FIG. 1b. A closure is provided for the bottom of the cement container. This closure includes a ring 69 welded into the bottom of the cement container. A metal disk 70, for example an aluminum disk, is received in a recess in the bottom of the ring 69 and is retained in the recess by a sleeve 71 locked in the ring 69 by set screws 72.

In FIG. 4, the tiring unit and pressure relief valve assembly 14 is shown with the relief valve in open position `as distinguished from the closed position of the relief valve illustrated in FIG. la. The assembly 14 has a lower threaded member 73 that forms the upper closure of the powder chamber and an upper member 74 slidable on the lower member. The upper member 74 is coupled to the cable head 13 by the threaded sleeve 75.

The lower relief valve member 73 has a flange 76, a

reduced upstandi'ng cylindrical portion 77, a further reduced upstanding guide rod 78, and a collar 79 threaded to the upper end of the guide`rod. The upper relief valve member 74 has a cylinder 80 that slidingly receives the cylindrical portion 77 of the lower member, a bore 81 in which slides the guide rod 78, and a cylinder 82 slidably receiving the collar 79.

A shear pin 83 is normally engaged under the collar 79 to hold the upper and lower relief valve members in the position shown in FIG. la. When the shear pin is broken by pulling up on the cable 11, the upper and lower relief valve members assume the positions shown in FIG. 4 and fluid pressure in the tool below the lower relief valve member 73 is vented to the exterior of the tool through the passages 84.

In operation, the tool is assembled as shown in FIGS. la and lb. A charge of cement slurry is introduced into the cement container 21 through the fill port 66. The tool is then lowered into the well to be cemented. As the `tool is lowered through the liquid in the well bore, the check valve 35 operates to equalize the pressure in the tool below the powder chamber closing plug 27 with the pressure of the well liquid.

When the tool has reached the desired location in the well, the firing circuit is energized from the surface of the earth. The igniter 32 is thus tired and the powder grains 29 are ignited. Powder gases build up pressure in the powder chamber 15 and, when the internal pressure exceeds the external pressure by a sufficient amount, the plug 27 is blown out of lthe orifice sub 16 and down the interior of the tool. Powder gases rush out of the powder chamber while the screen 28 retains unburned powder particles within the powder chamber.

Fluid pressure increases in the tool. When the pressure in the anchor 18 exceeds the external pressure by a small amount, the pistons 37 are forced out and into engagement with the inner wall of the casing 10 to hold the tool against vertical movement in the well.

As the pressure in the tool increases still further, the resultant force exerted on the lbottom of the piston 48 becomes great enough to move the piston upwardly in the cylinder 47 to force the packer expander 61 into the interior of the packer sleeve 53 to expand the sleeve into tight sealing engagement with the bore of the casing 10, as shown in FIG. 3. It will be observed that upward movement of the piston 48 lifts the fill-port sub 20 and cement container 21 as well as the expander 61.

A further increase -in fluid pressure within the tool forces the disk 70 from the bottom of the cement container 21 and ejects the cement slurry from the cement container through its open bottom under high pressure. The cement is forced through the casing perforations 85 and into the space around the casing to cement the latter to the surrounding earth formation. Pressure is held on the cement until it has acquired an initial set.

After the cement has taken an initial set and it is desired to withdraw the tool from the well bore, an upward pull is applied to the cable 11 to shear the pin 83 in the firing unit and pressure relief valve assembly 14 and to open the pressure relief valve as illustrated in FIG. 4. Fluid pressure within the tool and within the casing below the set packer sleeve 53 is equalized with the well pressure above the set packer sleeve through the open relief valve passages 84. With the pressures above and below the packer thus equalized, gravity acting on the tool components that are suspended from the piston 48 pulls these components down and effects withdrawal of the expander member 61 from the packer sleeve 53 allowing the latter to contract. Also, since the pressures inside and outside of the tool are equalized, the springs 44 effect retraction of the anchor pistons 37 thus freeing fthe tool and allowing it to be withdrawn from the well.

The tool is readily prepared for another cementing operation in a manner that will be yapparent from the foregoing description.

The vertical passages 63 in thc packer expander 611 have been found to increase the ability of thc packer assembly to pack-oft' high pressure zones. Without the passages 63, the packer assembly may hold a pressure diflerential of about 2,000 pounds per square inch across the flexible sleeve. In contrast, when the passages 63 are provided, the packer assembly will effectively hold a pressure differential of 6,000 pounds per square inch across the flexible sleeve. Moreover, the passages 63 make for easier withdrawal of the packer expander from the packer sleeve after the cement has been expelled from the tool and pressures have been equalized preparatory to withdrawal of the tool from the well.

From the foregoing description, various modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for treating well formations while suspended from a wireline, the combination of means for controlling said apparatus, fluid pressure delivery means responsive to and associated with said control means, retractable anchor means connected in fluid communication with said delivery means for expanding into gripping Contact with a well bore wall in response to pressure applied from said delivery means, retractable fluid motor means connected in fluid communication with said delivery means for actuating in response to pressure applied from said delivery means, retractable packer means `in connection with said motor means for expanding into sealing Contact with said well bore responsive to actuation of said motor means. walled container means connected in fluid communication with said delivery means for storing material for treating said Well bore, and pressure responsive closure means in a wall portion of said container means for releasing the contents of said container means responsive to pressure applied fronnrsaid delivery means, said control means being adapted to vent any pressure across said apparatus in response to predetermined tension exerted between said wireline and anchor means, thereby permitting retraction of said anchor means, motor means and packer means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said packer means comprises a packing and a packing expanding member connected to said motor means, said member being adapted to move relative to and expand said packing responsive to actuation'of said motor means.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said packer expanding member has a tapered configuration and is disposed for movement within said packing `whereby said packing is reponsively adapted to expand in a radial direction in response to movement of said member therein.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said member is provided with n fluid passageway adapted to vent the interior of said packing to the exterior thereof whereby movement of said member within said packing is facilitated.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tiuid motor means comprises a cylinder and a piston disposed for movement therein responsive to fuid pressure application is adapted to control the operation of the apparatus by controlling the presence or absence of pressure thereacross.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said delivery means comprises a charge adapted to react in response to said initiator means to provide high fluid pressure within said delivery means.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said charge comprises a gas-producing combustible.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said apparatus includes first uni-directional flow valve means in said apparatus for admitting fluids external to said apparatus into said anchor, motor and container means whenever such external fluid pressure exceeds pressure within said an- Chor, motor and container means, and second uni-directionai fiow valve means associated with said delivery means for preventing any external fluids admitted by said first valve means from entering said delivery means prior to delivery of fluid by said delivery means.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said closure means is a disk adapted to blow outwardly of said container means in response to predetermined uid pressure therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 886,114 Collingwood Apr. 28, 1908 2,352,700 Ferris July 4, 1944 2,696,259 Greene Dec. 7, 1954 2,715,943 True Apr. 23, 1955 2,760,583 Kline et al. Apr. 28, 1956 2,762,441 Newlin Sept. 11, 1956 2,792,063 Jones May 14, 1957 2,807,325 Webb Sept- 24, 1957 

